


Cloud Of Dust

by charlottefrey



Series: Advent Calendar 2016 - Star Wars Edition [3]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Horses die, I love this kind of AU okay, M/M, Not Christmas-y, This got away from me, Wild West AU, but gay, but no people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-09-01 23:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8643142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charlottefrey/pseuds/charlottefrey
Summary: After his relatives are killed, Ben takes young Luke Skywalker on a mission to save Leia Organa. But the tracker Ben hires in order to reach the young lady is not to Luke's taste....or is he?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Leather pants again... I'm sorry.  
> This is something that got away from me. It's not as well thought through as i'd like it to, but there were so many ideas i had for this AU, i couldn't stuff them all in. Maybe i'll do a second part of it at some point.

The wind picked up just a little, brushing over Luke’s tear wet face. He heard the fire burning in the remains of his home, the two dead bodies of his uncle and aunt bound to a tree a few feet away from him. Biting his lip he turned around, to where Ben waited with the horses, the Chinese servant and one of Uncle Owen’s aids.

   “We should leave Luke. Whoever did this will come back for you. They are searching for you.” Ben said and walked towards the young man.

   “I want to find them.” Luke replied.

   “No you don’t want to.” Artoo suddenly interrupted. “They will do just the same thing they did with your uncle and aunt. They will kill you and leave your rotting corpse behind.”

   “Also we need to get to go and help Miss Leia.” Ben continued as he led Luke back to the horses.

Artoo glanced around and gripped his gun tighter. Eventually he followed the two other men. Swinging back into the saddle was easy, but turning the horse away from the scene before him hurt Luke terribly. This had been his home until now, the place where he grew up and met with his friends.

But then he sighed and turned his horse, the red neck swinging as he turned. Ben was already ahead a little, the Chinese servant of Miss Leia, Threepio tailing him. Only Artoo looked back too and smiled at Luke encouragingly.

   “The old man might be a little weird, but I think he hand handle the situation pretty well. He’s been here longer than anyone else.”

   “Owen distrusted him didn’t he?” Luke said and looked into the bright blue eyes beside him.

Artoo turned his weathered face to the side and sighed. He rubbed one thumb over the rough leather of his reins and looked up again into the distance.

   “Owen…didn’t like many people. He was more of a loner than Ben himself. But he told me once that Ben was Anakin's, your father’s, friend and mentor. That’s why he stayed away from Ben. Your father and your uncle were close you must know until Anakin left with your mother Padmé.”

   “And the rest is history.” Luke said.

   “And the rest is history.” Artoo agreed.

They continued their journey in silence until Ben fell back as they were riding through a small valley. The sun was setting behind them and Ben looked around while he waited for Artoo and Luke to catch up.

   “We will sleep the night here. Tomorrow we’ll head for Mos Eisley and try to find a tracker there. It’s not far from here, but I will have to warn you, it’s a disgusting city. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.”

   “Mos Eisley. You are sure about this?” Artoo asked and let his hand slide over his revolver. “It’s unsafe and there’s no other place like it in the entire region.”

   “There you have it. That’s the exact reason why we will go there and find a tracker, maybe two, to lead us to Alderaan, where Threepio said Leia would be.” Ben smiled at the farm hand.

   “And we will have to hope that Leia is still alive.” Luke said gravely.

   “Hopefully not.” Ben mumbled.

   “What are you implying, Master Luke?” Threepio asked, his tone of voice alarmed.

   “If it is true what you have told us about Darth Vader and Palpatine, she is more likely to be dead than alive when we get there.” Artoo said bluntly.

   “Let’s just hope she’s still alive.” Ben said eventually after the whole party stayed silent for some long moments. “Let’s build camp.”

 

;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;

 

The morning after the night on the cold hard ground was bright and blue. Luke was just packing up when Ben came over, his horse in tow.

   “Buckle up Luke, we’re heading out!” The old man mounted his horse and waited only a few more minutes until the young man was finished packing.

   “Everyone is ready.” Artoo said.

Turning his horse, Ben spurred it on, not waiting for the others. As they cantered over the large plain, Luke’s hair was blown back and out of his face, tears running down his cheeks from the road’s dust and the wind.

His red, long legged horse snorted and huffed as the miles stretched on. Neither of the other three men turned, but Luke glanced back from time to time, until the hills surrounding his home where gone and melted into the surrounding plain. He now cried not only from the wind, but also from home-sickness.

Eventually they slowed down and Luke was able to wipe his face with his poncho. Ben quickly looked over his shoulder as he rode under the old wooden sign that read “Mos Eisley” in washed-out white.

   “Be cautious.” He warned one last time.

Luke sighed and patted his horse’s neck in order to calm himself. He only knew Toshi Station so far and was afraid these men would find out that he was a back-water boy. But Artoo glared at anyone who looked at the boy, so the attention was soon diverted to the other weak link in the group: Threepio, Miss Leia’s Chinese Servant.

   “I heard these kind of men cut the ears off their women.” A dark haired girl whispered to her friend, who gasped in shock.

   “He is one who will backstab his best friend if the need arises.” The weathered old man sitting outside the towns post office jeered.

But the worst moment clearly was when the soldier circled the group and started shouting insult, kicking dirt into the direction of the Chinese.

   “He is not the man you should mess with.” Ben said and pushed his coat aside, showing a long revolver, glinting in the noon sunlight cruelly.

   “A Jedi.” One of the soldier said and spat out. “You think you are the best just because you are part of some Special Unit.”

   “You know the Jedi’s are no longer a standing unit.” Ben merely replied and urged his horse on. The soldiers let them pass and Luke felt their eyes when they turned down one of the streets, heading to a small pub called “Cantina”.

   “We will try and find a tracker in there. If we’re lucky they’re good.” Ben said lowly and demounted his horse, the others following suit.

 

;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;

 

The tracker they found was anything but trustworthy in Luke’s eyes. He had dark hair, a lose fitting shirt and far too many guns on his belt. Why would anyone in their right mind have more than two revolvers on their belt? Han Solo looked like someone out of the wilderness, his brown eyes surrounded by weathered and tanned skin.

Ben wasn’t fazed by the large man beside Solo, someone named Chewbacca, who only communicated in his native language with Solo, nor by the warning Solo uttered when he hears where the small group is headed.

   “We’re not heading into Palpatine’s territory for fun. A young lady needs our help. She is kidnapped by these men and I am, as her guardian required to look after her, especially with her parents now dead.” Ben clarified when Solo opened his mouth again to protest. “And if you don’t lead us, we’ll find someone else to do the job. You’ll be handsomely paid.”

Luke watches Solo’s face as the man contemplated the offer. Solo was handsome with his dark eyes and the mane of brown hair, Luke finally admitted to himself. But he was a hot blooded man too and something like a wild card. Why Ben chose this man was beyond the farm boy.

   “Fine. Fifty dollars in total. Twenty five now and twenty five later.” Solo stretched out his hand and Ben took it.

   “Deal. We’ll leave as soon as you can manage.”

   “Give us an hour to pack up our things. We’ll meet at the post office.”

Ben agreed and the small group left the pub.

   “Why did you make a deal with him. I bet there are better trackers than him.” Luke said sharply.

   “The other tracker’s loyalty usually lies with either the military or the local major. Meaning they are nearly bound to inform their boss about their plans. Han Solo might be a wild card and rumoured to be untrustworthy, but he is also the only true option we have. We will manage.” Ben said and sighed.

   “We should stock up our supplies.” Artoo said, changing the subject to the more important problems at hand.

Ben merely nodded and took his horse’s reins.

 

;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;

 

Han Solo stood by the post office, smoking a cigar as he waited for the group of four. He changed from the soft, dark green pants into a pair of leather trousers more fit for riding. The large Indian is still only wearing his bow across his back and his traditional tribal pants.

   “We thought you wouldn’t turn up.” Solo said with a slight smirk.

   “Here are your twenty five dollars.” Ben merely said and threw the man the bag of coins. “Let’s get going.”

Everyone mounts their horses, Solo on a silver mare and Luke scoffs.

   “Your horse has seen better days.” He said.

   “Are you suddenly a horse trader?” Solo said sharply. “Millenial has seen more action than you’ll ever dream about. She’s a trusty horse and most certainly not to be underestimated.”

After this sharp scolding, Luke bit his lower lip to keep quiet. Ben shot him a look, but said nothing. Only Artoo patted the boy’s back and whispered something into his ear.

 

;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;

 

The miles stretched on and on while Luke got bored out of his mind. Trotting the whole time strained his muscles and he felt worn out already by the time noon came around. They stopped at a small river and as he drank from the cool stream, he heard a low rustling sound from the other side.

Just in time he looked up to see two Indians in the branches of a tree, then a shot rang out and behind him, his horse sagged down. Han, Ben and Artoo went immediately to their weapons and scared the two men off, but for Luke’s horse it was too late.

   “We will have to get a new one.” Ben said bitterly.

   “There’s a town an hour from here.” Han replied, checking his revolver as he walked to the dead animal. “We should take it’s saddle and snaffle.”

Luke was still in shock as the others mounted their horses and Ben loaded the saddle and the snaffle onto his packing horse.

   “Boy, take my hand. You’ll need to be on a horse to keep up with us.”

Perplexed, Luke let himself be helped onto Millenial, behind Han. He put his arms around the man and looked at the horse one last time.

   “Everyone ready?” Ben asked before he spurred his horse on.

Han followed suit, Luke pressed against his back. For a short while the group cantered over the plain, lead by Chewbacca, who seemed to be familiar with the route. Then Luke heard faintly the sound of other horses and looked over his shoulder. A handful Indian’s were hot on their trail, guns gleaming in their hands.

   “We have a slight problem.” Luke shouted and Han glanced over his shoulder.

   “Well kid, that’s not a slight problem, it’s a pretty serious one.” The older man replied snarkily and spurred his horse into an even faster canter.

Then the first gunshot rang out. The bullet grazed Luke’s left arm and he screamed in pain. For a short moment of shock and pain, he loosened his grip on Han’s waist and suddenly found himself slipping off the horse. Han reacted in a split second, grabbing Luke’s belt and pulling him up just as another bullet whizzed past the two.

Luke was pulled onto the saddle, between Han’s crotch and the saddle knob. The saddle knob dug painfully into his waist, but he bit his lower lip.

   “Kid, can you shot.” Giving a strangled reply, Luke adjusted himself. “Take my revolver and shoot at them, but don’t kill them, just scare them off.”

Luke fumbled for the revolver nearly dropping it. The smooth leather handle fit into his palm and suddenly the world made sense again. He knew what he was doing, after all he was one of the best marksmen at Tooshi Station.

The huffing of the horses became a distant background noise and the only beat he heard in his ears was his own heart pumping blood through his body. Raising the gun, he felt calm. He pulled the hammer back and pushed the trigger. Momentarily blinded by the sunlight reflecting on the smooth metal, he pulled the hammer back without thinking.

Eventually, the Indians turned tail and raced off into several directions. They continued their mad speed for a few more minutes until they slowed to a halt. Luke slid off the horse and coughed, gun still in his hand.

   “That was some first class shooting.” Han said appreciatively. “Where does a farm boy like you learn this?”

   “He was a former soldier named Boba Fett. Was a pretty quiet guy, but a crackshot.” Artoo said, because Luke was still catching his breath. “Weird fella, but a patient teacher.”

   “I bow before this kind of shooting.” Han said and clapped Luke on the back. “None of the Indians were killed.”

   “We should continue our journey.” Ben interjected. “Time is running out.”

Only then, Han noticed Luke’s wound. He quickly slid off his horse and grabbed the young man by the arm.

   “We should take care of that quickly.” Han said and pushed the sleeve of the shirt up.

Luke winced as the rough fingers slid over his wound. But Han didn’t stop and when Chewbacca demounted and walked over to the two while Han inspected the wound, Luke gave the Indian a tired smile as he held out a bandage and ointment.

The ointment stung like hell and burned even on his skin. While Han wrapped the bandage around Luke’s arm, the younger man felt tears of pain cling to his lashes as he blinked and some escaped down his cheeks, washing the dust off where they ran.

   “Kid, you’re doing fine. It will stop hurting soon. Chewie knows what he’s doing.” Han clapped him on the back. “We should get moving again.”

 

;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;

 

Han was right in the end. The last part of the ride was spent with a slight twinge, but Luke was able to distract himself with leaning against Han and inhaling the smell of leather and horse coming from the man. The small town was pretty much dead, reminding Luke of Toshi Station. But there was a horse dealer and business was made quickly

When Luke swung himself into the saddle of the new horse, a dark brown female, his arm was blissfully numb and painless. Though he noticed that the bleeding hadn’t stopped, he trusted Han and Chewbacca on this. Their journey continued relatively uneventful. Only Threepio and Artoo were talking, arguing over some minor things most of the time.

Luke ignored the two of them, focussing his eyes on Han Solo, whose dark hair glinted in the setting sun more red than brown and whose dark eyes were made softer whenever he looked for the younger man. What Luke didn’t knew where the knowing looks Ben and Chewbacca exchanged when they noticed the passing glances between the two.

Eventually, Ben halted his horse by a small river and dismounted, everyone following his lead. Artoo and Chewbacca began the campfire while Threepio sat down with Ben to discuss something. And in less than ten minutes Luke felt unnecessary.

He decided to go and have a wash. He hated to have his skin caked with dust and sweat, even if it was just a day’s worth riding. But when he went down to the water, he saw Han standing in the hip-deep water and washed his chest and back.

   “Kid.” Han said when he noticed the other man. “Aren’t you going to come in? The water is nice and cool. And you should wash your wound”

   “S-sure.” Luke said and started to undress slowly. He was painfully aware that Han was watching him. He glimpsed at the many scars covering the man’s chest.

   “You’re so sweet.” Han said when Luke was finally slipping into the water with a small splash.

Flushing Luke looked away and swallowed slowly. Han suddenly made him unsure about himself. And Luke was oddly drawn to the older man. Then suddenly he had a hand on his back pulling him close to Han.

   “Very sweet.” Han gently said and brushed his lips against Luke’s forehead.

Luke slipped out of surprise and fell backwards into the stream. When he returned to the surface, sputtering and gasping for breath, Han was long gone.

 

;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;

 

Han wasn’t seen for the entire evening, but late into the night, when everyone was already sleeping he stole himself back into camp. Luke woke from the quick words he exchanged with Chewbacca. But the next morning held nothing but silence from the tracker.

Ben was quiet too and not even Threepio felt like chatting. Artoo grumbled at the speed they rode at, but the third day was nearing it’s end and Leia needed them. Soon they saw the Organa farm and Ben made sign to halt the horses. There were only a few horses and when Threepio handed Ben the looking glass, the older man frowned at what he saw.

   “There are twelve horses. I presume it shouldn’t be that hard to get her out of there.” Ben said and handed the looking glass back to Threepio.

   “Wait. I haven’t signed up for a rescue mission, I was here to lead the way! Alderaan is that way.” Han said and pointed into the direction of the town.

   “You will only get paid when we’re finished here.” Ben said and suddenly the nice old man turned into someone far more dangerous.

   “Excuse me?” Han said and forced his horse beside Ben’s. “I want my money.”

   “You will get it. Later.” Ben barked back and dismounted, binding his horses’ reins to the tree beside him. “Dismount we’ll hide the horses in here. The forest is thick enough to hide them all. We will take the rest of the way by foot.”

 

;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;

 

It was hard to Luke to squat in the dirt, crawling behind Ben, Artoo and Han. Chewie was scouting ahead and Threepio stayed behind, claiming he was of no use. Something Han confirmed with a scoff. Luke felt the other man’s anger behind him. Suddenly a shot rang out and a loud roar came from the front. Luke found himself under Han’s weight on his back. His arm screamed all the while.

   “Don’t move.” The man whispered into the younger’s ear. “They have Chewie.”

   “What are we to do?” Luke whispered back.

   “Split.” Han said, more to Ben and Artoo than Luke. “We’ll meet at the farm house again.” Ben and Artoo nodded and moved to the right.

Han moved off Luke and motioned the younger man to follow him to the left. While the two men crawled through the low grass, Luke asked himself what had happened to Chewbacca. But he didn’t dare to pose this question to Han, who seemed to be enraged enough for today.

Eventually they arrived at the back of the farm house. Han leaned his back against the rough wood of the outer wall. Luke slipped next to him. He glanced over to Han and saw the other man looking at him too.

   “This is not how I expected this to happen.” He said and sighed. Quickly reaching over, Han grabbed the back of Luke’s neck. With a quick pull, Han’s lips were on Luke’s and the older kissed the younger thoroughly. When Han let go he held Luke close to his lips.

   “Wh..”

   “Shush, Luke. Let me have this one thing.” Then Han was gone, climbing up the outer wall and slipping into the house through an open window. Luke followed quickly, only to find a young woman staring at them, with a wounded Chewbacca in a small chair by the door.

   “Who the hell are you?” She asked. “I’m Leia Organa. Is this bumbling idiot yours?”

   “I like her already.” Han said bitterly. He looked at Luke, who merely smiled at her and said:

   “I am Luke Skywalker, this is Han Solo and we’re here to save you.”

Leia certainly wasn’t impressed. But Luke merely looked at Han and the other man looked at him with a small smile.

   “Get me out of here and don’t get all lovey-dovey on me.” Leia said sharply and got a barking laugh from Chewbacca.

In way of reply, Han pulled Luke close to him and kissed him thoroughly.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and giving kudos  
> Happy Third Day of Christmas!


End file.
